Atlanta Track Club Holds Town Hall & Annual Meeting

ATLANTA – January 8, 2019 - Atlanta Track Club welcomed new members of its Board of Directors, approved changes to its bylaws, addressed a price increase and change of registration dates to the AJC Peachtree Road Race, announced new membership initiatives and unveiled the course for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon and at a busy Annual Business Meeting and Town Hall Monday night.

Board chair Shawn Hardister was re-elected to a third and final three-year term on the board. Also re-elected were Erica Jolly Brookes, Katie Kirkpatrick and Ryan Purcell. Aparna Sharma and Eric Heintz were elected as new members of the board.

Atlanta Track Club’s by-laws were amended. The amendments included:

Elimination of alternate directors to the Executive Committee – The Board felt it highly unlikely that alternates – who have not been engaged with the Executive Committee or its work - would be able to contribute significantly to the Committee’s work if an elected Officer was unavailable. Instead, the Board will review and approve up to two “at-large” Directors, chosen from the current Board, to serve on the Executive Committee.

Added the ability for a Director to serve up to four (rather than three) successive years on the Executive Committee; this adjustment was made in light of the 2017 Bylaw change permitting Board members to serve up to three, three-year terms.

Added the ability for members to vote by “electronic ballot” - This clarifies the use of online tools to administer voting by members. It also removes the provision allowing for a paper form that may be used by a member to allow another member to vote their proxy in person – the use of an electronic ballot provides each member with access to record their vote themselves.

As the club has grown past 30,000 members, the change to Section 4.6 expands the ability of the Secretary to designate certain administrative duties to a paid staff member, subject to approval by the Chair.

AJC Peachtree Road Race

The Club announced a change to the pricing for entry into the AJC Peachtree Road Race. Starting with the race’s 50th Running in 2019. The registration fee for members will increase from $35 to $38. The registration fee for those who are accepted in the lottery will increase from $38 to $42. The last time the cost of the world’s largest 10K was increased was in 2013. The new rate will cover enhancements to the event as well as the rising costs of production.

Registration dates for the AJC Peachtree Road Race will also change in 2019. Member and lottery registration will happen simultaneously from March 15-31, 2019.

Membership Enhancements

Atlanta Track Club will host Club Night at Piedmont Park on Tuesday evenings beginning January 15. Club Night will be a free, informal opportunity for members of all abilities and speed to work out together at the park’s Active Oval. Weekly workouts will be posted on the Club Night Facebook page. Runners will gather at 6:30 p.m. at the stairs on the west side of the oval with the workouts designed by the Club’s coaches but self-administered by members. There will be three 12-week Club Night series with the second series happening in the spring and the third in the summer.

The Club will host quarterly social events in 2019. These replace the annual social that was traditionally held in January. The social events are as follows:

Winter – Group Run/Walk and Social at Monday Night Garage – Tuesday, January 22, 6 p.m.

Spring – Atlanta Track Club Night at Atlanta United FC – DATE TBD (Atlanta United schedule has not yet been released.)